Dumbarton were denied victory on Saturday after Falkirk snatched a point at the C&G Systems Stadium thanks to a late penalty.

Isaac Layne put Sons ahead just before the half-hour mark but Declan McManus scored from the spot in the final minute as the spoils were shared.

Early opportunities mainly fell to the visitors with Louis Longridge firstly having a shot from the edge of the box beaten away by Conor Brennan.

Sons were slowly coming into the game and Ryan McGeever’s cross was deflected into the hands of Robbie Mutch as the game began to heat up after a coming together between Michael Doyle and PJ Crossan which saw both men booked.

At the other end, Morgaro Gomis drilled the ball over the bar and Morgyn Neill made a vital block from close range.

READ MORE: Jim Duffy left frustrated after Sons switch off against East Fife

But it would be Dumbarton who took the lead on 29 minutes when Layne tapped home following a low cross from former Bairn Joe McKee, however the man who notched the assist would be forced off just a couple of minutes later due to illness.

Layne came close to finding a second soon after but his shot from the edge of the box bounced wide of the bottom corner as Doyle was fortunate not to see a second yellow card as he hauled down Adam Frizzell after the Kilmarnock loanee burst by the full-back.

The visitors, and in particular manager Ray McKinnon, were booed off by their travelling support at half-time and dominated possession for much of the second period.

However, the players didn’t seem to have any direction or idea of what to do with the ball with Brennan rarely tested.

The keeper was called into action on a few occasions, most notably bravely collecting the ball from the feet of McManus before Dumbarton boss Jim Duffy was forced to make another substitution with Rico Quitongo being replaced by Jordan McMillan.

There were moments when Sons could hit their opponents on the break and were causing problems when doing so – Layne was hauled down by former Dumbarton man Gregor Buchanan which presented a free-kick in a promising opportunity.

READ MORE: Dumbarton left to rue defensive errors in second successive defeat

Layne then had the ball in the net after getting on the end of Stuart Carswell’s drilled cross, but the offside flag was up.

And, just when Dumbarton thought they had got over the line and won all three points, the visitors were awarded a penalty when David McMillan’s shot from the edge of the box struck the arm of Carswell.

McManus stepped up and lofted the penalty high into the roof of the net to grab a point for the visitors.

But the point wasn’t enough to save the job of McKinnon who was relieved of his duties late on Saturday night.

Next up for Dumbarton is a Scottish Cup clash with Forfar Athletic who visit the Rock this Saturday. Kick-off 3pm.

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